<\/a> Welcome to the first Royal List newsletter of the year! We hope you all had a great break and look forward to another year bringing you curated royal news you can trust. For all our new subscribers, we – Kerry and Maria \u2013 are experienced British journalists who each week, bring you the top royal news, with an emphasis on trust and truth \u2013 we\u2019re not into clickbait stories. All subscribers receive a free newsletter every Sunday, plus if you upgrade to paid, you will receive a minimum of two in-depth extra posts per month, with more innovations coming for 2026. We really appreciate your support.<\/p>\n So, on to this week\u2019s main news – Catherine is straight back to business, releasing a moving new video on Friday, for her 44<\/span>th<\/sup> birthday. It\u2019s the final instalment of her Mother Nature series and in it, she talks about, \u201ccoming to terms with her fears,\u201d and \u201cdiscovering what it means to be alive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The video shows Catherine walking in Berkshire, near her Windsor home, and a palace spokesperson told <\/span>The Mail<\/a>, the video is, \u201cthe culmination of a deeply personal creative project \u2026 spotlighting humanity\u2019s long-standing connection to nature, as well as nature\u2019s capacity to inspire us and help us to heal and grow in mind, body and spirit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Prince and Princess of Wales on Instagram: “The Mother Natu\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The princess says, \u201cEven in the coldest darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration. Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection, to discover the deepest parts of ourselves alongside the whispers and the pulse of every living thing. I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am, for the rivers within us flow with ease, fears washed away, cleanse and purify. Come to peace with our tears and discover what it means to be alive. To be at one with nature \u2013 a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides, in memory, helping us to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> This emotional openness was also in evidence on Thursday, when she made a last-minute decision to join William on a surprise visit to Charing Cross Hospital. According to <\/span>The Telegraph<\/a>, a volunteer talked about how cancer patients have to sit for hours undergoing treatment, to which Catherine responded, \u201cI know,\u201d touched William\u2019s arm and repeated, \u201cWe know.\u201d Catherine, who wore a <\/span>Roland Mouret<\/a> burgundy trouser suit, said, from a patient\u2019s experience, the important things are \u201cnot in the job description, such as kindness and compassion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s something she has made her USP.<\/p>\n <\/a> Wow! Proof he really does have an incredible work ethic, the King, despite weekly cancer treatment, has overtaken Princess Anne to be named, \u201cthe hardest-working member of the Royal Family in 2025\u201d, according to <\/span>research by The Telegraph<\/a>. Charles undertook 533 engagements in 2025, while Anne \u2013 who has long reigned as the hardest-working Windsor – did 478. Camilla did 228 engagements and William, 202. Tad tardy, Wills! Even the Duke of Gloucester managed 212 and he\u2019s 81. Tsk. Edward undertook 313 engagements and Sophie 235.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> How lucky are we to have a Queen who believes \u201cbooks do make life better\u201d, dedicated to encouraging people to read and improving our nation\u2019s literacy rates. This week saw Camilla mark her book club\u2019s fifth anniversary, by describing her charity\u2019s mission \u201cmore urgent than ever\u201d. <\/p>\n Camilla, who founded an Instagram book club in 2021, said of <\/span>The Queen\u2019s Reading Room<\/a>: \u201cAt a time when global reading rates are at their very lowest, my charity\u2019s mission feels more urgent than ever. Books do make life better, and this is only the beginning.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n The motto for its birthday this year is Make Room for Reading, with a drive to encourage people to find easy ways to fit in just five minutes of reading a day, just like 10,000 daily steps or five portions of fruit and vegetables. Currently, only one in two UK adults read a book in a year, and 46 per cent of people say they struggle to finish one due to distractions.<\/p>\n <\/a> Harry\u2019s set to land in London this week, however any reunion with Charles is not on the to-do list, <\/span>reports suggest<\/a>. The prince will fly back to the UK for the opening of his High Court privacy claim against Associated Newspapers Limited, alongside other high-profile claimants including Sir Elton John.<\/span><\/p>\n On his last visit in September, the Duke had a 50-minute meeting with his dad, the first time they had seen each other in 19 months. The pair are now said to be in regular contact. However, Charles, who likes to take a break in January, will almost certainly be on the <\/span>Balmoral<\/a> estate in the Scottish Highlands when Harry will be hundreds of miles away in London. <\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!cOtA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b489682-8eec-4900-8ba5-a2607f28e158_676x1122.jpeg\")
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